NEW YORK, AUGUST 25,
2006  The Womens National Basketball Association and Southwest
Airlines will recognize the Carpenter Family of Crown Point, IL, this week for
their display of strength and courage during their stay at the Ronald McDonald
House in Chicago. For the second straight year the WNBA and Southwest Airlines
have teamed up through the Shoot for Hope program to give families who have stayed
at Ronald McDonald Houses the opportunity to experience WNBA games and meet their
favorite players. Shoot for Hope is a part of WNBA Cares, the leagues global
community outreach initiative.

The Carpenter family, 13-year-old Andy,
his two sisters and parents, will travel via Southwest Airlines to Connecticut
where they will be special guests at the 2006 Eastern Conference Finals. The game,
which will match Lindsay Whalen and the Connecticut Sun against Katie Smith and
the Detroit Shock, is set for Saturday, August 26 at Mohegan Sun Arena, and will
be televised live on ESPN2 at 4:00 p.m. ET.

At the young age of 13, Andy
Carpenter has already survived cancer three times. Diagnosed with leukemia at
ages three, five and eight, Andy has undergone multiple chemotherapy and radiation
treatments, the last of which left him paralyzed from the waist down.

Despite
adjusting to life in a wheelchair, Andy is a completely healthy and active teenage
boy. A true sports fan, he is now a member of a wheelchair basketball team.

Among
a family of heroes, Andy received a bone marrow transplant from his sister Alexis,
who was three years old at the time.

He truly is a miracle
story, said his mother, Kristi. He has a wonderful attitude that we
can all learn from.

Besides interacting with players, coaches and
entertainers at the East Conference showdown, the Carpenters also will receive
a variety of gifts, including WNBA memorabilia.

About Southwest AirlinesSouthwest
Airlines (NYSE: LUV), the nation's largest carrier in terms of domestic passengers
enplaned, currently serves 62 cities in 32 states. Based in Dallas, Southwest
currently operates more than 3,100 flights a day and has over 31,000 Employees
system wide.

About WNBA CaresThrough WNBA Cares, the WNBA is
deeply committed to creating programs that improve the quality of life for all
people, with a special emphasis on promoting a healthy lifestyle and positive
body image, breast health awareness, youth and family development, and education.
WNBA Cares is a part of NBA Cares, an initiative through which the league,
its players and teams will raise and contribute $100 million for charity, donate
more than 1 million hours of hands-on volunteer service to communities worldwide,
and build more than 100 places where kids can learn and play over the next five
years.